OWN cancels 'The Rosie Show'

CHICAGO, March 17 (UPI) -- The Oprah Winfrey Network has canceled Rosie O'Donnell's daily talk show after five months on air due to plunging ratings, the network said.

"The Rosie Show," taped in the same Chicago studio as Winfrey's long-running daytime show, will come to an end March 30, OWN announced Friday. In recent weeks, viewership has slipped from a daily average of 500,000 to 150,000, the Chicago Tribune reported Friday.

"I loved working with Oprah in the amazing city of Chicago. I was welcomed with open arms and will never forget the kindness of all I encountered," O'Donnell said in a statement. "It was a great year for me -- I wish the show was able to attract more viewers -- but it did not. So I am headed back to my home in New York -- with gratitude. On we go!"

In recent months, O'Donnell had changed the format of the show, downscaling the production and stripping it of the studio audience and band, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Winfrey, who launched OWN last year, said she appreciated O'Donnell and her team giving the talk show their all.

"I thank Rosie from the bottom of my heart for joining me on this journey. She has been an incredible partner, working to deliver the best possible show every single day," Winfrey said in a statement. "As I have learned in the last 15 months, a new network launch is always a challenge and ratings grow over time as you continue to gather an audience."